History Creator / CharlesLaughton

It was his lifelong regret that he was not a handsome man. He had a deep appreciation for beauty and the finer things in life, but believed he looked like a "departing pachyderm".[[note]]He was not always overweight, as you can see in ''Mutiny on the Bounty'' in 1935, ''Ruggles of Red Gap'', also in 1935, and the 1936 Alexander Korda biopic ''Rembrandt''.[[/note]] Nonetheless, Creator/MarilynMonroe, who played the young prostitute in the "Cop and the Anthem" segment of ''Film/OHenrysFullHouse'' (1952) opposite Laughton, said he was the sexiest man she'd ever seen; and Creator/MarleneDietrich was thrilled to be working with him in ''Film/WitnessForTheProsecution.''

!!Films with trope pages include:

* ''Sign of the Cross'' (1932, Emperor Nero)
* ''Film/IslandOfLostSouls'' (1932, Dr. Moreau)
* ''Film/{{The Old Dark House|1932}}'' (1932, Sir William)
* ''Film/ThePrivateLifeOfHenryVIII'' (1933, King Henry VIII)
* ''Film/TheBarrettsOfWimpoleStreet'' (1934, Edward)
* ''Film/MutinyOnTheBounty'' (1935, Captain Bligh)
* ''Film/RugglesOfRedGap'' (1935, Ruggles)
* ''[[Film/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame1939 The Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'' (1939, Quasimodo)
* ''Literature/JamaicaInn'' (1939, Sir Humphrey)
* ''Theatre/TheyKnewWhatTheyWanted'' (1940, Tony)
* ''Film/ThisLandIsMine'' (1943, Arthur)
* ''Film/TheBribe'' (1949, Bealer)
* ''[[Literature/{{Maigret}} The Man on the Eiffel Tower]]'' (1949, Commissaire Jules Maigret)
* ''Film/TheStrangeDoor'' (1951, Sire Alain de Maletroit)
* ''Film/OHenrysFullHouse'' (1952, Soapy)
* ''{{Film/Salome|1953}}'' (1953, King Herod)
* ''Film/YoungBess'' (1953, King Henry VIII again)
* ''Film/HobsonsChoice'' (1954, Henry Hobson)

* ''Film/WitnessForTheProsecution'' (1957, Sir Wilfrid Robarts)
* ''{{Film/Spartacus}}'' (1960, Senator Gracchus)
* ''Film/UnderTenFlags'' (1960, Admiral Russell)
* ''Film/AdviseAndConsent'' (1962, Senator Cooley)

[[quoteright:214:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/charles_laughton.jpg]]

It was his lifelong regret that he was not a handsome man. He had a deep appreciation for beauty and the finer things in life, but believed he looked like a "departing pachyderm".[[note]]He was not always overweight, as you can see in ''Mutiny on the Bounty'' in 1935, ''Ruggles of Red Gap'', also in 1935, and the 1936 Alexander Korda biopic ''Rembrandt''.[[/note]] Creator/MarilynMonroe, who played the young prostitute in the "Cop and the Anthem" segment of ''Film/OHenrysFullHouse'' (1952) opposite Laughton, said he was the sexiest man she'd ever seen; and Marlene Dietrich was thrilled to be working with him in ''Film/WitnessForTheProsecution.''

Charles Laughton (1 July 1899 -- 15 December 1962) was an English actor who appeared on stage and in Hollywood films during the [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood golden era]]. He was also known for being married to fellow actress Elsa Lanchester (best known as the Film/BrideOfFrankenstein) from 1929 until his death, although he was gay, and Elsa was accustomed to his affairs with men.[[note]]Before their marriage she had hired out her acting talents to divorcing couples by playing "the other woman" for their court cases; necessary in those days before no-fault divorce.[[/note]]

He was a successful theatre director, whose biggest hit was a stage adaptation of ''Literature/TheCaineMutiny'', and was also [[OneBookAuthor the director of ONE movie]], the 1955 thriller ''Film/TheNightOfTheHunter''. It did so poorly that he never got the chance to direct another film.[[note]]At least one other project fell through, and Laughton's declining health was also a factor.[[/note]] However, the film was eventually VindicatedByHistory, and today it is considered to be one of the greatest thrillers ever made.

He was a successful theatre director, whose biggest hit was a stage adaptation of ''Literature//TheCaineMutiny'', and was also [[OneBookAuthor the director of ONE movie]], the 1955 thriller ''Film/TheNightOfTheHunter''. It did so poorly that he never got the chance to direct another film.[[note]]At least one other project fell through, and Laughton's declining health was also a factor.[[/note]] However, the film was eventually VindicatedByHistory, and today it is considered to be one of the greatest thrillers ever made.

He was also [[OneBookAuthor the director of ONE movie]], the 1955 thriller ''Film/TheNightOfTheHunter''. It did so poorly that he never got the chance to direct again.[[note]]At least one other project fell through, and Laughton's declining health was also a factor.[[/note]] However, the film was eventually VindicatedByHistory, and today it is considered to be one of the greatest thrillers ever made.

It was his lifelong regret that he was not a handsome man. He had a deep appreciation for beauty and the finer things in life, but believed he looked like a "departing pachyderm".[[note]]He was not always overweight, as you can see in ''Mutiny on the Bounty'' in 1935, and the 1936 Alexander Korda biopic ''Rembrandt''.[[/note]] Creator/MarilynMonroe, who played the young prostitute in the "Cop and the Anthem" segment of ''Film/OHenrysFullHouse'' (1952) opposite Laughton, said he was the sexiest man she'd ever seen; and Marlene Dietrich was thrilled to be working with him in ''Film/WitnessForTheProsecution.''

Among the decidedly eccentric roles he took on were UsefulNotes/HenryVIII in 1933's ''Film/ThePrivateLifeOfHenryVIII'' (for which he won the UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Actor), Captain Bligh in 1935's ''Mutiny on the Bounty'', Quasimodo in 1939's ''[[Film/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame1939 The Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'' and (later in his career) Senator Gracchus in ''Film/{{Spartacus}}''. Creator/AlfredHitchcock once listed him among the most difficult things to photograph, along with dogs, babies and motorboats.

It was his lifelong regret that he was not a handsome man. He had a deep appreciation for beauty and the finer things in life, but believed he looked like a "departing pachyderm".[[note]]He was not always overweight, as you can see in ''Mutiny on the Bounty'' in 1935, and the 1936 Alexander Korda biopic ''Rembrandt''.[[/note]] Creator/MarilynMonroe, who played the young prostitute in "The Cop and the Anthem segment of [[Creator/OHenry O. Henry's Full House]] (1952) opposite Laughton, said he was the sexiest man she'd ever seen; and Marlene Dietrich was thrilled to be working with him in ''Film/WitnessForTheProsecution.''

Among the decidedly eccentric roles he took on were UsefulNotes/HenryVIII in 1933's ''Film/ThePrivateLifeOfHenryVIII'' (for which he won the UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Actor), Captain Bligh in 1935's ''Mutiny on the Bounty'', Quasimodo in 1939's ''Film/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'' and (later in his career) Senator Gracchus in ''Film/{{Spartacus}}''. Creator/AlfredHitchcock once listed him among the most difficult things to photograph, along with dogs, babies and motorboats.

* ''Film/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'' (1939, Quasimodo)

He was also [[OneBookAuthor the director of ONE movie]], the 1955 thriller ''Film/TheNightOfTheHunter''. It did so poorly that he never got the chance to direct again.[[note]]At least one other project fell through, and Laughton's declining health was also factor.[[/note]] However, the film was eventually VindicatedByHistory, and today it is considered to be one of the greatest thrillers ever made.

It was his lifelong regret that he was not a handsome man. He had a deep appreciation for beauty and the finer things in life, but believed he looked like a "departing pachyderm".[[note]]He was not always overweight, as you can see in ''Mutiny on the Bounty'' in 1935, and the 1936 Alexander Korda biopic ''Rembrandt''.[[/note]] Creator/MarilynMonroe, who played the young prostitute in ''Film/OHenrysFullHouse'' opposite Laughton, said he was the sexiest man she'd ever seen; and Marlene Dietrich was thrilled to be working with him in ''Film/WitnessForTheProsecution.''

Charles Laughton (1 July 1899 -- 15 December 1962) was an English actor who appeared on stage and in Hollywood films during the [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood golden era]]. He was also known for being married to fellow actress Elsa Lanchester (best known as the Film/BrideOfFrankenstein) from 1929 until his death, although he was gay, and Elsa was accustomed to his affairs with men.[[note]]Before their marriage she had hired out her acting talents by playing "the other woman" in divorce cases; necessary in those days before no-fault divorce.[[/note]]

He has a terrific WhatCouldHaveBeen in Josef von Sternberg's attempt to film ''I, Claudius'' in 1937. The outtakes can be seen in the 1965 documentary ''The Epic That Never Was.''

It was his lifelong regret that he was not a handsome man. He had a deep appreciation for beauty and the finer things in life, but believed he looked like a "departing pachyderm". Creator/MarilynMonroe, who played the young prostitute in ''Film/OHenrysFullHouse'' opposite Laughton, said he was the sexiest man she'd ever seen; and Marlene Dietrich was thrilled to be working with him in ''Film/WitnessForTheProsecution.''

* ''Film/OHenrysFullHouse'' (1952, Soapy)

Charles Laughton (1 July 1899 -- 15 December 1962) was an English actor who appeared on stage and in Hollywood films during the [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood golden era]]. He was also known for being married to fellow actress Elsa Lanchester (best known as the Film/BrideOfFrankenstein) from 1929 until his death, although he was gay, and Elsa was accustomed to his affairs with men.